Ari Emanuel

Have you ever wondered who inspired the character of Ari Gold, the foul-mouthed talent agent on Entourage? Meet Ari Emanuel, a crass, high-strung impresario who recently became the biggest power player in Hollywood after orchestrating the merger between William Morris and Endeavor. His new super-agency, WME Entertainment, now represents more than 1,000 A-list clients, including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Justin Timberlake, and Sacha Baron Cohen.

Appeal

There are few women in Hollywood who can resist Ari Emanuel. Fabulous femmes like Jennifer Garner, Britney Spears and Charlize Theron have all beaten a path to his door to seek his assistance in shepherding their careers. And while those relationships may be strictly business, there’s no denying that Emanuel’s unique blend of power and chutzpah is enough to make any woman lower her defenses. Flashy, sexy and at home in the limelight, Emanuel is one Hollywood hotshot whose sheer magnetism is undeniable.

Success

It’s easy to see why The New York Times has hailed Ari Emanuel as "the preeminent power player in Hollywood." This audacious wheeler and dealer is responsible for guiding the careers of more than 1,000 clients as the head honcho of WME Entertainment, a full service talent agency with offices in New York, Beverly Hills, Nashville, and London. It’s an impressive position for a 48-year-old former intern, but one that Emanuel is more than able to handle thanks to his trademark tenacity and unparalleled vision.

Ari Emanuel Biography

Success is in Ari Emanuel’s genes. The younger brother of Barack Obama’s Chief of Staff and one of the world’s leading bioethicists, Ari grew up competing with his siblings for his parent’s affection. Luckily, he was able to distinguish himself through his extraordinary athleticism, and he went on to become a star at New Trier West High where he was known for being one of the school’s top jocks. Emanuel later attended Macalester College, a small liberal arts school in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he continued to showcase his athleticism. In fact, he was so gifted that he briefly played on the professional racquetball circuit upon graduating in 1983.

ari emanuel learns the ins and outs of the biz

After several years of bumming around Paris on his father’s dime, Ari Emanuel relocated to New York City where he began working for talent agent Robert Lantz in 1987. The nature of the business appealed to him greatly and Emanuel later moved to Los Angeles where he began an apprenticeship at Creative Artists Agency, learning the ins and outs of the biz from Hollywood heavyweight Mike Ovitz.

ari emanuel creates endeavor

Upon completing his apprenticeship, Ari Emanuel moved on to Inter Talent and later, to Internal Creative Management (ICM). Although he clearly enjoyed his job -- and excelled at it -- Emanuel craved more power and he and three of his colleagues broke away from ICM in 1995 to create Endeavor, a full-service talent agency. The upstart company quickly became known for the relentless ferocity of its agents, and before long Emanuel and his pals had a stable of 200 clients including A-listers like Ben Stiller, Adam Sandler, Larry David, and Jack Black. Their collective star power transformed the agency into one of the top shops in town and helped Endeavor rake in more than $100 million annually.

ari emanuel merges endeavor and william morris

Ari Emanuel made the biggest power play of his career in April, 2009, when he orchestrated a merger between Endeavor and William Morris, one of the oldest and most respected talent agencies in the world. The result is WME Entertainment, a vast new company featuring more than 1,000 clients including fashionable stars like Quentin Tarantino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Eddie Murphy, and Sacha Baron Cohen. WME has already risen to the top of the charts in the industry and promises to grow in influence as newly acquired clients like Charlize Theron, Justin Timberlake and Renee Zellweger come on board.

ari emanuel shows off his political clout

In addition to his work as an agent and Hollywood mogul, Ari Emanuel is also an important political player. He helped usher Barack Obama into the White House by handling his Hollywood campaign and by hosting numerous fundraisers for the Democratic Party. Emanuel presently lives in Brentwood, California with his wife Sarah Addington.